Taken
by DAbanna
Summary: When Lady Mary and Anna are kidnapped and held for Ransom, The Crawley's and Bates do everything in their power to get them back. (The Rating may change as the story progresses)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**** This is a little different than the normal Downton Abbey story. It's not AU really, it's set in the same time and all relationships are Canon. The storyline is just a bit different than Fellowes might tend to lean towards.**

**I'm an American, from the South, so my ENGLISH English might not be as proper as some might prefer, so please forgive me. I watch Downton while I write, so I can at least get some of the grammar and phrasing right. But it might not be to a true Englishman or woman's standards. So let me know if there is anything that can be improved!**

**Nothing but the idea and a few odd characters belong to me! Please do not sue. **

It had been a bad week for John Bates. Thomas—or Mr. Barrow as the new under butler insisted that he be called—was being quite the pain. He took every opportunity to humiliate the Valet who was responsible for him even still having a position at Downton. On top of that, he was back on Miss. O'Brien's bad side, so she wasn't much help. Her insults were hurled not only at him, but at his wife as well. He could handle being called a useless invalid or a filthy drunk—even if it was untrue—but for someone to call his Sweet Anna a trollop and a floozy, was just unacceptable.

He woke up on Friday morning with the hopes that he could make it for one more day before having a wonderful Saturday off with his wife. He trudged down the stairs like a little boy who didn't want to go to his first day of school, and gave Anna an adoring smile. "Good morning." He murmured kissing her forehead as she placed a plate of crepes on the table. "You've been busy." He gestured the eggs, bacon, and biscuits with gravy that had also adorned the table.

"I just wanted to get a head start on celebrating a very special day." She explained with a sweet smile.

John's eyes widened as he tried to think of what anniversary he may have forgotten. He had always been very forgetful for whatever idiotic events Vera marked as important, but he had vowed to do better with Anna. So, he marked down every moment in a mental calendar—the day he first saw her, their first kiss, their first engagement, their second engagement, and their first dance (as clumsy as it may have been)—but nothing fell on the fifteenth of September.

"What day might that be love?" He asked nervously, wincing when Anna faltered slightly as she sat down.

"I thought you may have remembered." She said with a forced laugh before shaking her head and blinking. "It's silly, don't worry about it." She waved him off as she poured him some tea.

"No, tell me." He pleaded. "My old brain can only retain so much information. I forget so many things." He tried to joke.

"It's just…it's been six months…" She trailed off self-consciously, but continued when she still saw a look of confusion on his face. "Since you were released…from prison."

Suddenly remembering the cold morning in March, John smiled and nodded. "Of course." He sighed. "You're so sweet to remember." He picked up her hand from the table and kissed it gently.

"Of course I remembered." She laughed and shook her head as she stood and rounded the table to give him a big hug. "It was one of the best days of my life. Right behind meeting you and our wedding day."

John pulled her onto his lap and kissed the side of her head repeatedly. "I have had a _terrible_ week." He muttered, resting his chin on her shoulder and gazing at her lovingly. "The worst I thought I could ever have here. But you just made everything so much better."

/

"It's about time you showed up." O'Brien sneered the second the couple walked into the Servants' hall. "I thought I was going to have to dress Lady Mary as well as Her Ladyship!"

"We're five minutes early." Anna pointed out as she hung her coat on the hook in the hall. "Besides, I wouldn't _dream_ of adding to your workload. What with all of the meddling and gossiping that you've been backed up on since Tuesday." Bates laughed and discretely rubbed her arm as one last bit of affection before their days started.

"You've got a smart mouth on you." O'Brien glared at the younger Lady's Maid before going back to her mending. "If only you could apply that sass to something more useful, such as time management or self-control."

"Says the pot to the kettle." Bates murmured as Lady Mary's bell rang. He decided to walk his wife upstairs so he could get away from the wicked woman.

"Now, don't you let her bother you." Anna said sternly as they got into the main hall. "She isn't worth the stress."

"I can't take her talking to you like that." John growled. "You deserve so much more respect than that."

"I know what she says is untrue more than half the time. I know I'm not lazy—I do more work in a day than she does in an entire month." She assured him, rubbing his back as they approached the grand staircase. "If it doesn't upset me, then it shouldn't upset you."

John didn't fully agree with her logic, but he decided to let it lie all the same.

/

"Anna, I was thinking of going into town today." Mary announced as Anna helped her out of her nightgown. "Mama and I are going to France next month with Aunt Rosamund, and I'd like to get a few dresses for the trip."

"Very well milady." Anna nodded as she went over to the wardrobe to pick out something comfortable but nice enough to wear into Ripon.

"I'd like you to come with me." Mary said, nodding when the maid held up a green and white striped dress. "I can give you one of my dresses to wear since all of your clothes are at your cottage, but I could really use your help if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course it isn't any trouble milady." Anna assured her with a smile. "I can go change though. The cottage isn't very far—"

"Nonsense, I have about fifty dresses that are collecting dust in my wardrobe." Mary smiled and reached around her to take a periwinkle dress out. "This should fit you fine. It's too small for me anyways. It was a gift from Grandmamma last spring, and I think she got my measurements mixed up with Sybil's." She laughed and held up the dress to the smaller woman.

Anna smiled forlornly at the mention of the deceased Crawley sister. "Well, thank you milady." She set the dress aside and returned to her task of getting Mary ready for the day. "I might need to take in the bust a bit, but besides that, it should work just fine." She joked eliciting a small laugh from her Ladyship.

/

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes." Anna sighed as the housekeeper finished the quick alter she'd done on the dress.

"Don't mention it my dear." Elsie smiled at the younger girl. "I loosened your corset as well because I didn't have time to take in the waist." She patted Anna's hip.

"That should make sneezing a little easier." Anna tried taking a couple of deep breaths, enjoying the slight freedom from the corset that normally confined her ribs.

"It's time to look into eating a few more meals when you have to have clothes made for Lady Mary taken in so much." Mrs. Hughes teased pulling at the loose cloth around Anna's midsection.

"Please." Anna rolled her eyes and placed the hat Mary had given her as well on her head and arranging it.

Elsie smiled at the girl she saw as a daughter and helped her pin the hat to her hair. She had always had a soft spot for Anna. She was such a strong girl, who was always working her hardest, but at the same time, she was very sensitive and delicate. She had always felt very protective of her.

"When do you think you'll be back?" She asked taking one more look at her outfit.

"I hope by dressing gong." Anna sighed, putting her coat on. "I tried to catch Mr. Bates and tell him, but it appears his Lordship has been holding him hostage in the library."

"I'll let him know." Elsie assured her, leading her out of her parlor. "Now, don't keep Lady Mary waiting. Have fun!" She waved as the girl hurried up the stairs past Ms. O'Brien.

"Yes, she's on her way to _have fun_ while I'm toiling away." The older Lady's Maid grumbled, gesturing the box of jewelry she was bringing down to polish. Mrs. Hughes rolled her eyes and went back into her parlor.

/

"Clyde, you can just park here." Mary told the chauffeur gesturing a small parking lot about a block away from the dress shop. "You won't have much luck finding a spot to turn around, and the walk wouldn't hurt if I'm to try on dresses." She gave Anna a small smirk as Clyde hopped out and opened the door for them.

"We should be back within the next hour or so." She told him, "Lord Grantham is always going on about the pub across the way's sandwiches if you fancy a bite to eat while you wait."

"Very well Milady." Clyde smiled kindly at the eldest Crawley girl. Anna couldn't help a small grin herself. Lady Mary had come a long way in the fifteen years she had been working for her. She used to not give the servants—with an exception of Carson—the time of day, but now she spoke to them almost as if they were equals. She even treated Anna as though she were a dear friend half of the time, rather than a mere Lady's Maid.

"Do you think I should get a new bathing costume?" Mary's voice broke her out of her musing. "My old one is nice enough, but I'd hate to have something out of season."

"Well it might be a bit too cold for swimming." Anna reasoned as they arrived at the shop, "You probably won't need one anyways."

"You have a point there." Mary smiled at her before turning to the shopkeeper. "Ah, Ms. Bright, how lovely to see you!"

Anna wandered about the shop as the two women spoke of dresses and what was in and out in the world of fashion. Frankly, most of it went over her head, but she was happy to be of help to her Ladyship. She smiled as she came across a charming sundress. It was an almost gold shade of yellow with little white flowers embroidered on it. It had capped sleeves and was form fitting at the top, but flowed out at the waist . It was a newer style than she was used to, but she thought it was absolutely charming. But one look at the price tag told her that she was better off sewing one for herself.

"That's a lovely dress." Lady Mary startled her as she appeared at her side.

"Yes, but you know how Her Ladyship feels about you in yellow." Anna reminded her.

"Yes, that it washes it me out, and I must agree with her on that." Mary laughed and went back to browsing.

/

"Thank you Ms. Bright, as always, you were a huge help." Mary called as they left the store.

"And thank you Lady Mary!" The shopkeeper waved goodbye to the two women as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"I'd like to stop by Hammond's and see if Matthew's new cufflinks have arrived yet." Mary told Clyde as he helped them put the many packages in the car. "Then we can go, Mr. Carson will lose his head if I delay dinner."

Anna giggled as she followed her back towards the shops. "He loses his head about twelve times a day, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary."

"Lady Mary!" A voice called, prompting both of them to turn around. A tall man waved at them from a small shop doorway.

"Who's that?" Mary whispered to Anna who shook her head.

"I haven't a clue."

"Well just wave so as not to be rude."

The women waved at the stout gentleman, and they were about to go on their way when he proceeded to wave them over. "I need to give you something for your father. He ordered it weeks ago, but he still hasn't picked it up!"

Mary sighed began to walk over, followed by Anna. "I'm terribly sorry, but we're in a bit of a rush. We'll be sure to remind Lord Grantham this evening, if you'll tell me what it is."

"I have it ready now." The man said gesturing for them to follow them into the shop. "It's a bottle of Brandy I had imported especially for him, and I'm anxious for him to try it!"

Mary rolled her eyes and nodded as she and Anna made their way into the dark store. "I suppose it won't be a problem. How much is it?" Suddenly, the door slammed behind them causing them both to jump.

"It's on the house." A new voice snarled right before they blacked out.

**I have a couple of versions of the next chapter worked out, but I'm still deciding on which way I'd like it to go. But I should have it updated within the next couple of days if you guys like it.**

**Please Review! : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**** First off, thank you for the kind reviews! They were greatly appreciated!**

**This chapter is rather short, but my next ones are going to be a bit longer. **

**I own nothing!**

She awoke so quickly, she felt as if she was being tossed from her body. And though she had felt that her eyes were indeed open, all she could see was darkness. She moved her head back and forth, and discovered that there was some sort of cloth tied across her eyes. She was lying on a dirty stone floor; it was cold against her cheek. A slight shuffling noise came from beside her. She tried to call out, only to discover that the same kind of cloth that covered her eyes was tied across her mouth as well.

"Good morning pretty lady." A voice whispered just before she felt rough, clammy fingers run across her forehead. She screamed into her gag and tried to jerk away, but her hands and legs were tied, thus preventing much movement on her part. "Careful, you'll wake your friend." The voice warned.

Suddenly it all came flashing back: Ripon, the dress shop, Lady Mary…they had been kidnapped.

/

Bates sighed when he heard the dressing gong ring. He had been waiting by the kitchen door for the past hour for his wife to return, but still there was no sign of her. Mrs. Hughes had informed him of Anna's afternoon outing with Lady Mary, and of course he was happy to hear that she was able to leave Downton for a few hours. But as the day went on and the sky grew dark, he began to worry.

"Mr. Bates" Carson's voice startled him. He turned to see the butler waiting impatiently in the hallway. "His Lordship is waiting for you."

"I'm sorry Mr. Carson, I'm on my way." Bates spared one more glance outside before heading towards the stairs.

"I'll keep an eye out for her." Mrs. Patmore assured him from her place at the stove. John nodded his thanks as he left.

/

"Do you know which one is the Grantham's daughter?" She heard a rough voice. She must have dozed off because she was sitting up against a wall now. She felt someone leaning against her, with their head on her shoulder. From the smell of the perfume, she assumed that it was Lady Mary.

"I assume it's the taller one." The voice from before replied. "She was the one doing all the talking."

"That doesn't mean anything! You know how prim these ladies are. They don't talk unless they need to. She could just be the help!"

"Good point." The first man pondered for a moment. "I say we just wake them up and ask."

Anna clamped her eyes shut—even though she was blindfolded—as she heard footsteps coming her way. She heard Mary groan as they were yanked apart. "Wake up girl." The man who had greeted her earlier slapped her cheeks and yanked the gag out of her mouth. "Talk to me!"

Anna coughed as she tried to speak. Her throat was dry and scratchy and her voice came out gravelly. "Wh-who are you?" She choked, turning her head in the direction of the voice. "What do you want?"

"I think you know what I want." The man whispered running a slimy finger down her throat.

"Dugan!" The other man barked. "Stay focused!"

"I have to frighten her." The first man—Dugan—argued, placing his hand on Anna's thigh and rubbing it. "How else will we get an honest answer out of her?"

"What do you want to know?" Anna demanded as she discretely struggled against her binds.

"We're looking for the Earl of Grantham's daughter." Dugan explained, stroking her cheek now.

Anna hesitated for a moment. Judging by the lack of response from Mary, it was obvious that the young woman must have been seriously injured. She wanted so much to get them both out of there, but if she could get her Ladyship out first, there was at least a chance that she could go and fetch help.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" She whimpered.

"_You're_ Lady Mary?" The second man asked incredulously. Anna bit her lip and nodded.

"Yes." She replied, silently praying that her shaking wouldn't give her away, "Yes, I am. How may I help you?"

/

Dinner was just about over when they heard Carson's perturbed voice from the Main Hall. "I'm very sorry Mr. Carson, but it's quite urgent!"

"I should hope so Mr. Clyde! The family is having their dinner!" The Butler huffed as he walked into the dining room.

"It's quite alright Carson, we were just finishing." Robert waved the flabbergasted man off, "What seems to be the problem Clyde?"

"I am very sorry to bother you Milord." The Chauffeur took off his hat and fumbled with it as he spoke. "But I thought you should know as soon as possible."

"Know what?" The Earl asked exchanging an amused smile with his wife.

"I just came from Ripon, where I took Lady Mary and Anna to go to…to the shops…" The man stammered.

"Ah, so that's where our Mary has been!" The Dowager Countess exclaimed.

"Yes, but didn't you all leave just after lunch?" Lady Edith inquired. "What took so long?"

"See that's just it." Clyde stepped forward, "They finished shopping rather quickly, and brought everything to the car. Lady Mary said she just had to run to one more shop and that they would be right back. I waited for over three hours, and they never returned. So I went into all of the shops and there was no sign of them."

"What are you saying?" Matthew demanded starting to rise from his seat.

"They've vanished." Clyde sighed shaking his head. "I was hoping they would be here when I got back—that they had decided to walk home and had forgotten to tell me."

"I'll go check upstairs." Cora pushed back from the table and hurried out of the room.

"Carson, could you check downstairs?" Robert requested as he went to follow his wife. The Butler nodded and hurried towards the Servants' Staircase.

He nearly ran over Mrs. Hughes once he got to the bottom step. "Mr. Carson! What in heaven's name-?"

"Is Anna back yet?" The breathless man asked, looking into the servant's hall.

"No, not yet." Elsie sighed and shook her head. "I was just about to go look for her. Why do you ask?"

Carson spared one more look behind her, before pulling her in the small alcove under the staircase. "Clyde just got back from town. He says that Anna and Lady Mary disappeared nearly four hours ago."

Mrs. Hughes's jaw dropped. "Disappeared?"

"Last he saw of them, they were walking towards the shops."

"Oh dear. I do hope they're alright." Elsie covered her mouth and contemplated the situation.

"You do hope who's alright?" A voice from the hall startled them. They turned quickly to see Bates waiting for a reply, but seeing the look of panic creasing his normally calm face, the assumed he already knew the answer.

/

**I know it seems weird now. But I promise it will make more sense in the chapters to come. **

**Please Review! : )**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Upon request, I've broken chapter 3 into two parts so I could update sooner! **

**The POV in this chapter (and possibly some of my future chapters) is kind of all over the place! But just so it's clear:**

**/ -This separates settings as well as POV**

… **-This separates POV without changing the setting, and makes it kind of omniscient. **

**I'm going to try to keep it neater in the future though!**

**I own nothing!**

**/**

As John followed Mr. Carson into the library, it took everything in him not to barge past his superior and run into the room. How could everyone be so calm? Anna and Lady Mary were missing! He knew that sometimes Mary Crawley was unpredictable, and that if she wanted to walk home, she maybe would have done so without informing the driver. But Anna would never have done such a thing. She would have told Clyde their exact itinerary in detail if they had decided to change their plans in anyway. She would have called.

Something was wrong—he could feel it in his gut.

"Clyde needs to take us into town and show us _exactly _where he last saw them!" Matthew was pacing in front of the fireplace when they entered. Bates could tell the young man was in the same state he was.

"Edith is just calling Ms. Bright to see if she's seen them since they left the dress shop." Robert tried to soothe his son-in-law. "You know how Mary likes to change her mind. They very well could have gone back."

"But wouldn't she have called?" Cora asked, her eyes shining with worry.

"They're not there!" Edith announced as she ran into the library. "Ms. Bright said they left hours ago and she hasn't seen them since."

"Alright," Robert sighed heading towards the doors, "Carson, would you please fetch Clyde? Bates, Matthew, come with me."

/

"So, who's your friend?" The second man—whose name she learned was Wolfe—sneered. "She's a little fancy to be a servant."

"We treat our servants quite well actually." She tried to hide the hints of Yorkshire that always appeared in her voice. After over a decade and half of living in Downton, she knew how proper Ladies spoke—surely she could mimic it when her life as well as Lady Mary's depended on it. "If they are to go out in public with us, they must look their best. We couldn't have our townspeople thinking we dress our help in rags." She scoffed.

"So she's your maid then?" Dugan queried, his stale breath indicated that his was very close hers.

"Yes, Anna is my Lady's Maid." Anna tried to sound more exasperated than nervous. "Now could you very kindly tell me what all of this is about?"

"That's a good question Love!" Dugan chuckled, patting her head. "But really, isn't it obvious?" He paused, allowing her time to ponder, but she wasn't in the mood for guessing games.

"You're our hostages." Wolfe informed her after a moment of silence. "We hope to get a mighty pretty penny in exchange for your return."

Anna sighed with relief, so they weren't planning to kill them. Her reprieve was short lived though, as Lady Mary began to moan from behind them.

Anna panicked slightly, "Anna!" She called to her charge. "Anna, are you alright?"

"Wh-what?" She heard Mary murmur as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Anna, just stay calm." Anna tried desperately to take her own advice as she continued, "These men only need me, I'm sure they will let you go. What good is a Lady's Maid in your plan?" She directed the last statement at their captors.

"We can ask for more money." She heard Dugan whisper to his partner, "I mean good help is pretty hard to find nowadays."

"I doubt my father would see it that way. He hardly cares what happens to our servants." She shrugged, attempting to be as aloof as Mary might have been in a less stressful situation.

"Anna…what are you doing?" Mary coughed and Anna winced when she heard her name.

"Did she just call you Anna?" Wolfe growled. The Lady's Maid hesitated before shooting out a reply. She was never very good at lying, even when it came down to the wire.

"I thought you said your name was Mary." Dugan's breath was hot on her cheek. Why did he have to be so close?

"I-I must not have been thinking clearly." She replied in a shaky voice. "Mary's my eldest sister…she's on vacation…in France…"

"We heard the lady from the dress shop say Lady Mary."

"She gets us mixed up all the time." Anna forced a terrified laugh, "She needs to have her vision checked if you ask me!"

"So, both of your names are Anna?" Wolfe demanded, "You and your Lady's Maid?"

"Y-yes."

There was a tense silence as she waited for the men to say something—anything. "I don't think you're being very honest with us…_Anna_." Dugan snarled with his mouth was so close to her ear that she could practically feel his teeth.

"Wh-What makes you s-say that?" She stuttered.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain large man who had just spent the better part of an hour groping her, slapped her across the face.

/

After Clyde drove them into Ripon and showed them where he had last seen the women, Robert sent him home with the car as he, Matthew, and John walked into every shop, alleyway, and nook of the small town. There was no sign of them.

Matthew checked the hospital, and was distressed not to find them there, but at the same time relieved. Bates checked the library and the church, while Robert checked the hotel above the pub—in case they had grown tired and decided to rest.

They walked through the woods on the way back to Downton. A few men from the town—Dr. Clarkson being one of them—joined them as they called out Anna and Mary's names as they searched.

Bates's leg ached as he strode across the rough terrain, but he didn't pay it any mind. All he could focus on was finding his Anna. He needed to know that she was alright and safe from harm.

/

Mary's head was throbbing as she tried her very best to focus on what was going on. She heard someone calling out to Anna, asking her if she was alright and telling her to stay calm. What had happened to Anna? Was she injured as well?

It was then that she realized that the voice she had heard was Anna herself. She sounded as though she was talking to her. She heard some men as well, but the Lady's Maid's voice seemed to be calling out specifically to her. She was talking about her father and his disregard for servants. Wasn't Anna's father dead?

When she questioned the girl on this, everything went quiet. The men's voices grew tense and after a few minutes, she heard the loud crack of flesh hitting flesh, followed by Anna's cry.

"Anna?" She called out frantically. "What's going on?" She rolled around until she maneuvered herself into the upright position. All the while she rubbed her shoulder against her face in attempt to get her blindfold off.

…

"You stupid arse! You made her bleed!" Wolfe growled, punching Dugan in the arm.

"What difference does it make?" Dugan kneeled back down next to Anna and wiped the blood off of her lip as her body shook from holding in tears. "She's worth the same whether we mess her up or not!" He emphasized his point by slapping her across the other cheek.

"Anna!" Mary cried out again.

"Don't worry Poppet!" Dugan assured her, "We're just trying to get a few answers from your friend here." He took Anna's tender face in his hand and shook it a bit.

After a few more minutes of listening to the men coerce poor Anna, Mary finally succeeded in rubbing her blindfold off. She blinked as she tried to take in her surroundings. They were in a dark, damp room with walls that looked like they were made of tightly packed red mud and rocks. Judging by the tree roots poking out from between the rocks and from the ceiling above, she guessed that they were underground somewhere.

She looked across the room to where she heard all of the commotion and saw two men one very tall, one of average height, and both stocky. They were standing on either side of a bound Anna. Though her eyes were hidden by her blindfold, Mary could tell that the small woman was in pain. If the blood on her lips and bruised cheeks weren't indication enough, the furrow between her half-exposed brow and small shudders that racked her body were.

"I'm Lady…A-Anna Cr-Crawley…" Anna choked.

"And your friend?" Wolfe asked, holding up his hand to stop Dugan from striking her again. "We know she's not a servant. You can preach about appearances all you'd like, but never in my life have I ever seen a Lady's Maid with real pearls and a diamond ring." He held up Mary's necklace and wedding ring. He had taken them off of her while she was still unconscious.

Anna whimpered and shook her head. "She's just a friend of the family." Her voice was small and desperate. She just wanted to get Lady Mary out of there. Not only did she want to avoid having her Ladyship harmed, but she also knew that her freedom might lead to a rescue. She just wanted to feel John's arms wrapped around her.

"We're not going to get a straight answer from her Wolfey!" Dugan muttered, balling up his fist and raising it, but Mary's voice halted him.

"Stop!"

The men turned slowly to glare at the girl who, much to their surprise was staring back at them with her blindfold around her neck. "I am Lady Mary Crawley." She articulated in such a calm manner, that even her captors were impressed. "And I suggest that you keep your hands to yourself if you plan on living to see another sunrise."

Dugan chuckled at the woman's confidence, but lowered his hand nonetheless. "Now _you're_ The Earl's daughter." He looked at Wolfe who looked quite fed up with the whole ordeal.

"I am." Mary raised an eyebrow and glared at the men.

"Don't listen to her!" Anna pleaded. "She's not well!"

"Anna, please." Mary tried to sound as forceful as possible as she scolded her terrified maid, but it was difficult to be harsh with Anna when she was doing everything in her power to protect her. Turning back to her captors, Mary continued. "Anna's _my _Lady's Maid. And I insist that you leave her out of whatever quarrels you might have with my family."

"See, now I don't know who to believe." Wolfe faked serious contemplation as he crossed his arms and looked between the two women. "What do you thing Dugie?"

"I think we should each interview them separately." Dugan smirked as he ran his fingers through Anna's hair. "You keep _Lady Mary_ in here with you, and I'll take _Lady Anna_ into the next room and see what I can get out of her." He patted the blonde's cheek eliciting a tiny whimper from her.

"No! Please leave her alone!" Mary begged. "I'm the one you want!"

"No, I am!" Anna snapped. "She's just trying to protect me! That's what servants do!"

"Enough!" Wolfe snapped ripping Anna's blindfold off and getting in her face. "Another word from you and I'll be sending you home in a box!" He glowered at her with beady brown eyes. Anna could see that he was missing quite a few teeth as well as most of his hair.

"And the same goes for you!" Dugan said to Mary as he waltzed behind Anna's chair and untied her wrists. She began to struggle as soon as she was free from her confines, but the burly man stopped her by gripping her upper arms tightly in his vice-like hands. "Now, now lovey! Don't be that way!" He growled into her hair as he pulled her back towards the door.

"No! Please let her go!" Mary cried out as she watched her dear friend be dragged forcefully out of the room.

"Shut your mouth girl!" Wolfe ordered grabbing Mary's arm and turning her around to face the wall. "She'll be just fine! Dugan will be mighty gentle if she cooperates. And if she doesn't…well, she's pretty enough that a few small scars shouldn't make a difference." His laugh almost blocked out Anna's screams as Dugan slammed the door shut behind them.

/

**There you have it! I will try to update by tomorrow, but I'd really like to make a longer chapter, so it might not be until the weekend. I'll do my very best though!**

**Please Review: )**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry this took me so long! I was almost done with this chapter when I decided to scrap it and start over! **

**I own nothing!**

/

"And you're sure that they're not in the house anywhere?" Officer Hartsfield asked as his eyes roamed the main hall of Downton. Robert sighed and looked at Bates and Matthew who were both ready to pace a hole in the rug.

"I'm positive." He said, watching as the policeman marked some notes down in his pad. "Shouldn't you have brought more men? I mean to help with the search."

"It's not necessary." Hartsfield muttered as he closed the notepad. "They haven't been missing long enough to call in the squad. I could get some constables out to patrol the woods, but we can't do more until they're at least gone for forty-eight hours."

"Forty-eight hours?" Matthew stopped his pacing and glared at the officer. "Who knows what could happen to them in that time?"

John closed his eyes at the implication of the younger man's sentence. He was trying his very best not to imagine the girls in a dangerous environment. At this point though, that could be the only explanation for their disappearance. Anna would have called him and reassured him that they were safe if it were so. "Can we please continue our search if the police aren't going to be of any help?" He asked Lord Grantham as he turned his back on the apathetic officer.

"I'll finish here." Robert said to the two men. "You two go on. Get the men downstairs to help you."

Bates nodded and rubbed his forehead wearily as they headed back outside.

/

Mary groaned as she leaned her head back against the wall. It had felt like hours since Wolfe left, when in reality it had only been about twenty minutes. She was feeling extremely weak from lack of food and water and she was in a great deal of pain from Wolfe practicing some of Dugan's interrogation methods on her. He wasn't quite as rough on her as his partner was on Anna, but she could still feel the marks from his large fingers on her cheeks.

She was relieved that he had untied her before leaving. Her shoulders were so sore, that she welcomed the tiny bit of freedom with great relief.

But as time wore on, her worry began to return. Where was Anna? What were they doing to her? Did she tell them the truth? Did they free her? Did they kill her because they found her to be useless in their grand scheme?

Her pondering came to a halt when she heard voices in the hall. They were muffled, but she could tell that the men were arguing. Scrambling to her feet, Mary crept closer to the heavy wooden door.

"What did you do to her? She looks like hell!" She heard Wolfe bellow.

"I was trying to get answers out of her! She wasn't talking straight!" Dugan defended himself. "Besides, she's still standing ain't she?"

"You're a bloody idiot, did you know that?" Wolfe was grumbling as he unlocked the door and swung it open. He smiled when he saw Mary standing there. "Hello Poppet!" He greeted her.

Mary looked around him to see Dugan dragging a bloodied and beaten Anna in behind him. "Look, there's your buddy!" He growled pushing the tiny woman into the room. Mary lunged forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. "Now, you two sleep up! You have a busy day tomorrow!" The men chuckled maliciously as they slammed and locked the door behind them.

"Anna?" Mary looked down at her friend. Cuts and bruises covered Anna's pale face. She was awake, but her eyes just stared blankly up at her. "Anna what did he do to you?" Mary cried as she tried to wipe some of the nearly dried blood off of the girl's cheeks.

"Lady M-Mary?" Anna whimpered. "Is everything alright?"

Mary laughed and nodded, "Everything's fine, I'm okay." She assured her. "Just try and relax." She looked around their prison miserably. She kept praying that she was just having a horrible nightmare. She wanted so badly to open her eyes and be in her bed at Downton with Matthew sleeping soundly beside her. She wanted for Anna to be safely in her cottage, with Bates. She wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

/

It was nearly four in the morning when Matthew and John finally took a break from their search. They sat wearily on an old bench near the outskirts of the woods and sipped on some tea that Alfred brought out to them in a thermos. "I don't understand it." Matthew sighed setting his cup aside and resting his elbows on his knees.

John nodded. "It feels wrong sitting here." He murmured, staring at the dense line of trees.

"This whole thing feels wrong." Matthew replied. "It's like they've vanished off the face of the earth.

"No, they've got to be nearby." John argued. "I feel it. I know she wouldn't have gone far, neither would Lady Mary."

"I know, I know." Matthew nodded and stood up. "I just want to find them! I can't go on much longer without her here—If only I knew where they went. I wouldn't car if she decided to stay in a lodge because I have upset her, again. That's fine with me! If only she'd tell me!"

He looked at Bates whose expression clearly said that that scenario wasn't very likely. He sighed and gestured the path that led back to the woods. And with that, the two men continued their search.

/

"Wake up!" A voice shouted, waking the two women quite suddenly. Mary startled as she sat up from the cold concrete that had been her bed for the evening. Her back was terribly sore, but she tried to ignore it—she didn't want these monsters to see her pain.

Anna on the other hand, had a hard time hiding her agony as she laid curled up next to her. Her sides had been bothering her all night; she was convinced that Dugan had broken a couple of her ribs when he had kicked her for being stubborn. Her right eye was nearly swollen shut and her jaw ached. And a night of sleeping on the hard ground did not help at all.

"Get up, pretty girl." Wolfe sneered as he pulled Mary to her feet. "You shall be our messenger today." He patted her cheeks.

"M-messenger?" Mary's voice sounded like gravel. She wanted so much to have a drink of water.

"Yes indeed. You will go back to Downton and give this to the Crawley's." Dugan shoved a folded sheet of paper into her hands. "You tell them to do what this says and they'll get their daughter back. Or at least what's left of her after last night." He laughed evilly but stopped when Wolfe gave him a look.

"B-but I'm their daughter…" Mary whispered, looking back at Anna in despair.

"Be that as it may, I doubt this little thing would have gone through what this Nasty Beggar did, and still call herself the daughter of the Earl if it were a lie." Wolfe said. "Besides, it doesn't look like she'll be walking anywhere for a while." He gestured to the Lady Maid's frail and shaking form on the ground.

"Now come on!" Dugan grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the room.

"No! No please!" Mary cried looking back. "Let Anna come with me! She can't stay here!" She shrieked when a gag was put back into her mouth and a sack was thrown over her head. She struggled as they tied up her hands, but of course they over powered her.

"No more of that little girl." Dugan sighed. "We got a bit of a trip now, and I don't want to hear your whining."

She stumbled as she was dragged up a small creaky flight of stairs. She heard a door open before they stepped onto soft ground. She could feel a breeze and smell fresh air and she knew they were outside. She would have enjoyed it a lot more if she knew her and Anna were going home. But as she was forced onto the floor of the backseat of a car, and covered with a blanket, she knew that Anna's chances of ever making it home were diminishing with every second she was in that cell.

/

"But who would want to take them?" Daisy asked Mrs. Patmore as they set the table for the servants' tea.

"Someone very stupid if you ask me." Alfred gave his input, taking a bite of the lemon cake Ivy was carrying. "They're not going to get away with it!"

"We don't even know if they WERE taken!" Mrs. Hughes interrupted them sitting down next to Carson at the head of the table. She had been a nervous wreck all morning, and she was trying desperately not to let it show to the other servants. "Now, Mr. Crawley and Mr. Bates will find them and bring them back. But in the meantime, we need to get on with our work."

Everyone looked at the Housekeeper as she shakily poured herself a cup of tea.

/

She didn't know how, but she freed her hands from her binds less than two minutes into the car ride. She prayed that whoever was driving wouldn't look in back as she ripped the sack off of her head. Looking up slightly, she saw that both of the men were in front.

So they had left poor Anna alone? Mary had to fight back a growl as she looked around to find an escape route. The car was so loud and the road was so bumpy, she doubted they would hear her open the door, but she had to act quickly.

Risking one more glance behind her, she reached up and pulled on the silver handle and breathed a silent sigh of relief when the door nudged open. Sliding on her stomach towards the opening, she peaked down at the ground, and was glad to see the ground wasn't moving too quickly beneath her. Maneuvering herself into a squatting position, she pushed the door open a little more and rolled out of the car without another thought.

/

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so this one's a bit longer. I hope that after this, there will only be maybe three more chapters at most.**

**Please let me know what you all think! I'm not too used to this writing style, so feedback is always helpful! **

**I only own the plot!**

**/**

"I have requested that Detective Burroughs come out from London." Robert announced as the family gathered in the Study that evening. They had finally convinced Matthew and Bates to rest while some of the male servants resumed the search of the woods. "Rosamund tells me he's the best in the field."

"Well, she would know." The Dowager Countess muttered, shifting in her seat.

"When will he arrive?" Cora asked. The stress of the day was showing clearly on her face.

"By midmorning." Robert sighed as he took a scotch from the tray Carson was bringing around. "He'll want to speak with Matthew and Bates as well as Clyde and anyone they may have spoken to in town."

"Should we involve Mr. Murray?" Edith suggested.

"Not until we know who or what is responsible for their disappearance." Robert replied. He didn't want to involve a solicitor unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Could this be about ransom?" Cora was standing now. Her drink sat forgotten on the table by her armchair—like most of them, she was having trouble keeping anything down since her daughter's disappearance.

"What else could it be about?" Tom demanded.

"Then why take Anna?" Edith asked.

"She was with Mary all afternoon, if she saw who took her then she's a danger to them." Robert explained. "Besides, knowing Anna, she probably fought tooth and nail not to be separated from Mary."

/

The incessant pounding in her head made it very difficult to see as she came to. She went to take a breath, only to inhale a mouth full of dirty water. Sputtering, she sat up on her elbows to find herself in a mud puddle.

She could still hear the motor from the car she had just rolled out of, so she knew that she hadn't blacked out for more than a few seconds. Knowing that she didn't have long before they realized she was gone, she scrambled to her feet and began to follow the tire tracks in the direction they had just come from.

/

When Anna woke up, the first thing she was aware of was how quiet it was in the dark room. She looked around and groaned when she realized that Lady Mary being taken away wasn't a dream. She ignored the pain in her side as she sat up and pushed herself back against the wall.

"Please…please help me…" She whispered. "Please God, help me…"

/

"This is pointless." Jimmy sighed as he and Alfred trudged through the thick vines and brush about two miles deep into the forest behind Downton. "The men already looked here yesterday. We would have seen them by now."

"I suppose you're right." Alfred sighed, looking back in the direction they had come from. It was getting warm as the sun began to rise, and they hadn't brought any water with them. "I suppose we should head back." He began to turn, when something caught his eye. He turned to see a flash of green in the distance.

"What are you staring at?" James asked looking in the same direction.

"I see someone running over there!" Alfred pointed, before dashing off towards the figure. As he drew closer, he saw that it was in fact a woman, with long dark hair and a dirty dress on. "Lady Mary?" He called. The woman turned and squinted at him as he slowed his approach so as not to startle her.

"Y-yes?" She seemed to be in a daze as she took a cautious step back. She was slightly bruised in the face and she was missing a shoe. Her hosiery was ripped and her exposed foot was bleeding.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Alfred gave her a reassuring smile. He went to reach out for her, but she retreated quickly.

"No! I can't go until I find Anna!"

"Anna's with you?"

"Well she _was_ and then they separated us!" She still held onto her haughty demeanor, which for once, was a comfort to the young footman. "But the tracks led back to here! She has to be nearby! I can't leave until I find her!" The fierce look in her eyes told him that it would be wise not to argue with her.

Alfred turned towards Jimmy, who was just now approaching them, "Go and fetch His Lordship!" He called out, "And Mr. Crawley and Bates! Quickly!"

James hesitated for a moment, not liking being ordered around by the second footman, even if they were outside of the dining hall, but he decided to choose his battles before turning and running back towards Downton.

Alfred followed Lady Mary as she stumbled through the thick brush. "Maybe you should down for a moment ma'am." He suggested, approaching the terrified woman with caution. "I can look around some…that is…if you tell me what to look for…" He led her to sit on a fallen tree branch.

"I don't know what to look for myself!" Mary threw up her hands in exasperation. "I just know that this is the area she was in! I need to get Anna soon! I don't want to be here when they come back!"

"When who comes back ma'am?"

"Those men! Those vile men!" She began to shake at the thought. Alfred took off his coat and draped it across her shoulders. It wasn't very thick—mornings in September weren't cold enough to call for heavy jackets—but it was doing more than the torn dress she had on.

"Don't worry milady." He said quietly. "I won't let those men hurt you again. Neither one of you." He looked around warily, hoping that James would hurry.

/

"Ah, you're up early sir!" Mr. Carson exclaimed as Lord Grantham stepped into the dining room. "Shall I go fetch—?"

"No, no need to fetch anyone Carson, I'm going to go walk the grounds for a little while." Robert told the Butler, waving off the chair he was pulling out for him. "Do notify when Bates and Mr. Crawley are up and about will you?"

"No need." Matthew's voice interrupted Carson's reply as he stepped in from the Main Hall, "I've been up for hours."

Robert gave him a look of pity before nodding in the direction of the study. "Then I suppose it's only fair that we wait for Bates before starting our search again."

"My thoughts exactly." The heir agreed, following his father-in-law.

"I'll go check and see that he awakens soon My Lord." Carson called before heading towards the servants' staircase.

In any other case, both Crawley men would have insisted that the Valet be allowed some extra rest, but given the circumstances, they did not argue with Carson. They wanted to find the women as quickly as possible. It had been nearly two days since they had last seen them, and their hopes of finding them were getting dimmer and dimmer.

/

Carson was just coming down from waking Bates, when he was nearly run over by a frantic blonde footman. "James!" He bellowed. "What in God's name-?"

"Lady Mary!" Jimmy wheezed pointing in the direction of the kitchen door he had just burst through. "Al-Alfred…"

"Take a breath lad!" Mrs. Hughes ordered, coming up beside the two men with a stern glare.

The boy took a deep breath before repeating, "Alfred, he found Lady Mary!"

/

"I can see the tire marks, but I don't know where they start." Alfred reported as he touched the tracks carefully. "Do you remember walking for very long before you got in the car?" When she didn't give an immediate response he looked up.

She had a look of terror on her face as she stared at a form approaching them in the distance. It looked like a man, maybe a little shorter than him, with a wool cap on. He looked frustrated as he peered into tree hollows and behind every bolder he passed—he didn't seem to notice the pair of them yet.

"Is that one of the men?" Alfred asked looking back at Lady Mary, whose paralyzed form was the only answer he needed. He gently pushed her onto her stomach under the tree she had been sitting upon. "Stay here ma'am." He ordered before crouching on his knees behind another tree, and waiting for the stout man to get closer.

He could hear him cursing and grunting as he stomped through the leaves and brush. When he got right next to them, Alfred jumped from his hiding spot and pushed the large man to the ground.

/

"Are you sure it was this way James?" Matthew sighed as they continued to rush through the woods. Bates and Robert followed close behind him, as well as Cora and Edith—they refused to stay home when they heard that Mary may have been found.

"Yes sir!" James replied with confidence. "Just a little further!"

"Do you hear someone screaming?" Edith asked.

They all stood still for a moment until a piercing scream filled the air. "That's Mary!" Robert confirmed before continuing at a more rapid pace.

They didn't have to go much further before they saw Alfred pinning a large bearded man to the ground. "He's got somebody!" Matthew announced, rushing to aid the young man. He took off his coat and began to tie the sleeves around the struggling man's wrists. When the man continued to thrash about, Alfred lifted a rock from the ground and hit him over the head with it—effectively knocking him out. "Well, that works too." Matthew sighed patting the footman on the back before helping him to his feet.

"Matthew!" Cora's voice startled him. He turned to see his mother-in-law kneeling next to a very terrified form.

"My God," The blonde man gasped, before moving towards them. His feet felt like they were stuck in mud as he tried to get to them as quickly as possible. When his wife finally came into view, he barely noticed the bruises on her cheeks, or the blood on her forehead. In that moment, all he could see was the breathing, beautiful woman he had been so desperate to hold in his arms for the past forty-eight hours. "My darling." He choked, falling to his knees and pulling her trembling body into his arms.

"M-Matthew?" She whimpered, as her arms slowly wrapped around his shoulders.

"Yes, my darling…I'm here my beautiful, beautiful darling!" He kissed the side of her head repeatedly as he sat fully on the ground and pulled her into his lap.

The family stared on with tears in their eyes. Edith sniffled and reached out to brush her older sister's hair affectionately as she clung to her husband. Cora hugged one of Robert's arms as gazed down at his wife, basking in the relief of that one moment.

His smile faded though when he saw Bates. The Valet looked happy for them, as happy as he could be. But his wife was still nowhere to be found. Robert knew that their search wouldn't be finished until Anna was safe as well.

As if reading his thoughts, Mary spoke up, "Anna! We must find Anna!" She exclaimed.

"You need to go to bed, my darling!" Cora told her daughter sternly.

"No! Not until we find her!" Mary pushed away from Matthew and scrambled to her feet.

"Mary, you've been through a horrible ordeal-" Her mother tried to reason.

"She saved me!" Mary interrupted, not caring what anybody had to say at the moment. "She saved my life!" Cora stared into her eldest child's determined eyes.

"Then I will see to it that she is found and brought home." She promised. "But you need to let Matthew take you home, so Dr. Clarkson can take a look at you."

"But-"

"The longer you take to have him see you, the longer Anna will have to wait to be seen when we find her!" The even more determined mother stood her ground. "Now go!" She nodded to Matthew, who was happy to pick his wife up and carry her towards the house.

"Mr. Bates!" Mary called.

John stopped his search of the area, and approached the young lady as Matthew stopped his retreat. "Yes Milady?"

"Anna's a fighter." She assured him, her eyes were beginning to droop with exhaustion. "She won't let you down."

John smiled and nodded. Though he was already well aware of this information, he was still grateful to hear it. "Thank you." He whispered, before patting Matthew's back signaling for him to keep moving.

Taking a deep breath, Bates turned to glare at the man still lying on the ground at Alfred's feet. If this was the man who would lead them to finding his wife, then he was in for a very painful awaking.

**/**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took me so long. Finals happened! I hope to be finished with this by the New Year, but who knows!**

**I own NOTHING!**

**/**

Dr. Clarkson went over Mary with a fine-toothed comb. It took nearly an hour, but in the end he was able to give them a good report.

"Other than a few cuts and bruises and a bump in the head, she's perfectly fine." He told Matthew, who was hovering at the foot of the bed wringing his hands. "Just keep resting, and change the bandages on that foot in a couple of hours."

Matthew nodded gratefully and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you so much." He said quietly. Clarkson nodded and patted Mary's arm before heading towards the door.

"Is there any word on Mrs. Bates?" He asked nervously. He had always respected the Crawleys and all of their staff, he would have hated for anything to happen to any of them.

"No, not yet." Matthew spared Mary a sad glance. "But if it's not too much trouble, could you stay here until she's found? I have a feeling she'll need immediate medical attention."

"Of course sir."

"I'll ring Carson and have him bring you some tea." Matthew said as the doctor stepped out of the room. He waited for a moment before going over to the edge of the bed and sitting down next to his wife. "How are you feeling darling?" He asked gently, running the backs of his fingers along her cheek.

"Better." Mary sighed leaning back against the pillows sleepily. "I'll feel a lot better when they find Anna." She smiled forlornly as she played with the ribbons on her nightgown.

"They'll find her, I know they will." Matthew stroked her hair, silently willing her to sleep. "Bates isn't prepared to rest until he brings her home with him."

/

After an insurmountable amount of time, Anna finally decided it was time to get out of that room. She had to find a way to rescue Lady Mary. She can't remember when and why the men had separated them again, but she had to get to her. She would never forgive herself if something happened to her.

Pulling herself to her feet she winced when she felt her ribs pull and her world spin. Dugan had kicked her repeatedly in the side and she had collapsed a couple of times resulting in hitting her head against the hard ground. She was sure that she would need at least a day off to recover from this ordeal.

She laughed torpidly at the thought of what Ms. O'Brien would say when Ms. Hughes would tell her that she would need to resume Anna's duties. That woman could be absolutely infuriating.

Slowly but surely, Anna finally approached the old wooden door. She took a deep breath—resulting in a few sharp coughs—before reaching out and grasping the old rusty door latch. And to her surprise, it turned in her hand with ease and the door swung inward.

/

"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!" The burly man growled as John and Robert flung him back to lean against a large boulder.

"Tell us where she is!" Bates roared, holding his man across the man's throat.

"Where who is?"

"We know you took those women. We have a witness!" Robert informed him, pulling Bates back slightly before he killed the large man. "We just need to know where Anna is, and then maybe we can arrange something less harsh regarding your prison sentence."

John snorted as he made intense eye contact with his victim. Prison was too good for this bastard. "Where is my wife?" He snarled.

"I don't know!"

"Milord!" Alfred's voice startled them. They turned to see the Footman dragging another large man along with the help of Jimmy. "We found another one! Just down the road!"

"His car had a flat." James added as he held up a small white shoe, "He had this in the backseat. It looks like Lady Mary's!"

"Dugan, you idiot!" The man Bates had trapped choked.

"Now are you going to play dumb?" Robert glowered at him.

/

Her imprisonment didn't stop at the small damp room she had been in for the past few hours. There was a long winding hallway full of doors that led to more empty rooms. At one point she had to lean against a wall and take a few deep breaths. She was still feeling blinding pain and it was getting more and more difficult to see straight.

After a moment of rest she continued her frantic search. "Lady Mary!" She called with a hoarse voice, "Lady Mary!"

She stumbled over some loose rocks, but caught herself on the wall. She whimpered and pulled herself along, looking around desperately. Her vision began to tunnel, but she was still seeing the path ahead of her clearly. When she began to lose hope of ever finding Lady Mary, she started to turn around. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a small flight of stairs just ahead of her.

Swallowing, Anna stepped towards them and fell to her knees at the foot step. Looking up, she saw a trapdoor, and on the other side she could hear voices…women's voices.

/

Edith and Cora decided to look around the area while the men played interrogators. "It's hopeless Mama." Edith sighed, kicking at some leaves. "What if they don't even have her out here? What if she's being kept somewhere back in town?"

"We still need to look everywhere that we can!" Cora's face was set with determination. "If that man is out here, then Anna is alone and possibly very injured. We need to get to her as soon as possible!"

"Maybe we should get Isis out here." Edith suggested. "That's what dogs do right? We can just have her smell one of Anna's shirt or something, and she can find her through scent."

Cora laughed somberly and shook her head. "Some dogs might be able to do that darling, but not your father's dog." She stopped when she heard a noise. "Did you hear something?"

They both stopped walking and listened for a few moments. "Hear what?" Edith asked quietly. After another moment they heard a tiny whimper. It could have been a small animal or a bird from above, but both women had a feeling as soon as they heard it.

"I think it's coming from over there!" Cora exclaimed as she dashed towards a small clearing. As they drew closer, the noise grew louder. "Anna? Anna?"

"Mama!" Edith called. Her mother ran over to see her standing over a pair of large wooden double doors partially buried by some leaves. "I hear her!"

"Anna?" Cora called, dropping to her knees by the doors and pulling at the pad lock that held them closed. "Anna, can you hear me?"

They waited and after a few minutes of silence, they heard a cry. "H-help!"

"That's her! That's Anna!" Edith exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. "I'll go get father!"

Cora nodded, "Get Bates too!" She called after her daughter as she ran back in the direction they had come from. "And tell them to bring something to cut this lock!"

/

Bates ran as fast as his feeble leg would allow. When he saw Lady Grantham on her knees next to some storm cellar doors, he picked up his pace. By that point, more men from the town had joined them in their search, so they were able to leave the criminals with them.

"I can still hear her!" Cora informed them as they approached.

"Alfred is fetching an axe from Mr. Blair's toolshed." Robert told her, pointing at the small house about a hundred yards away.

"Anna!" John called, collapsing next to Lady Grantham and pressing his hands against the splintered wood separating him from his wife.

"H-hello?" A weak voice called. John breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his sweet Anna's voice.

"I'm here darling! I'm here!" He pressed his ear to the door and felt himself beginning to breath.

"Where is here?" The timid voice asked quietly.

"She's delirious." Cora told him at his look of confusion.

Alfred ran up with an axe in his hand. "Here you are Milord!" He presented it to Robert who motioned at Bates to his wife.

"Step aside for just a moment." Her Ladyship whispered to John, pulling him away from the trap doors. Bates nodded and climbed to his feet. He would have insisted upon breaking the lock himself, but his nerves had him shaking so much, that he didn't trust himself not to miss and accidentally hurt somebody.

"Anna!" Robert called, adjusting his hands on the handle of the axe and holding it ready above his shoulder. "I need you to move away from the door for a moment! Okay?"

There was a small pause before her weak voice, a bit further away now, called out that she was ready. Lord Grantham didn't wait another minute before swinging the axe down in one powerful motion. After two solid hits, the padlock broke open.

John rushed forward and helped his employer open the heavy doors. "Anna!" He called stumbling down the dark staircase. He stopped when he saw her huddled form on the bottom step. "Anna?"

She was in quite a state—her eyes and lips were swollen, blood was matted in her hair, and her cheeks were bruised. Everything else seemed to be covered by the torn dress that clung to her body in tatters. She was trembling as she slowly edged forward into the sunlight.

"M-Mr. Bates?" She stammered, squinting at him. John laughed a bit at her propriety and bobbed his head up and down.

"Yes, I'm here." He reached out a hand to her, but they froze when they heard footfalls behind them.

"My god!" Robert's horrified exclamation had the woman shrinking back away from the opening.

"They're here! They're here!" She whimpered pressing herself against the stone wall behind her. Her bloodied hands went up to cover her face as she repeated the mantra over and over.

"Anna," John moved to comfort her, but her terrified scream stopped him.

"NO! Please don't!" She begged holding her hands out and shaking her head. "I'm the Earl's daughter! I'm the Earl's daughter!"

"What-?" Bates started to question her rambling, but Cora's comforting hand on his arm stopped him.

"Please, Mr. Bates." She whispered, looking at Anna with a calm smile, "I'll talk to Anna, you might want to give her a little bit of breathing room alright?"

"But she's my wife-"

"I know that, but she doesn't know that she's in a safe place right now. She just knows that you're a man." Her Ladyship tried to explain. "Edith, could you come down?"

John stood and walked backwards up the stairs, all the while watching Lady Grantham place her coat around his trembling wife's shoulders and comforting her.

He understood why Anna was scared of him, but he couldn't help but feel like a monster when he thought of the look of pure terror that filled her face when he reached out to her.

/

**Two more chapters to go!**

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